| | | | | President Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcome Colombian President Ivan Duque Marquez to the White House Wednesday. Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images | | What the White House is Talking About:
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump today welcome the President of Colombia and his wife to the White House. Trump will meet with the President while Melania will host the first lady. Later, President Trump goes to the J.W. Marriott to speak to the Major County Sheriffs and Major Cities Chiefs Association Joint Conference.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
Whether or not the President signs the border deal.
Sources Say: He's Going To Sign:
Two sources confirm to CNN's Dana Bash the President does indeed intend to sign the new border funding deal, a compromise situation that yesterday he said he was "not happy" about. But he's getting far less than the $5.7 billion he wanted for the wall, which means he will likely secure additional funds via some sort of executive action. Per Bash: "Even as lawmakers haggled over details of their agreement, the White House had been planning behind the scenes to secure the funds for the wall unilaterally. The White House says Trump is continuing to weigh his options to fund a border wall, which still include taking executive action to secure funding for a wall. It's not clear which combination of actions the President might use, and the topic has been under debate for weeks."
Breaking Down the New Deal:
Here's a good look at all the new deal includes, considering Trump will likely agree to it and sign it at some point before Friday. There's an interesting part about detention beds, of which the number and use became a sticking point of the deal over the weekend, almost stalling talks.
Trump's Got a New Golf (Room) Toy:
According to the Washington Post, Trump has installed one of those gigantic -- and ridiculously expensive ($50,000) -- golf simulators in a room at the White House residence. It's not all that surprising because the simulators are pretty much the ultimate rich-guy plaything. Obama had one, but it wasn't as big or elaborate as the one Trump has had installed. The man loves his golf. He's played more than Obama did; 70 rounds per year versus Obama's 38.
Ivanka Trump's Next Policy Push:
Ivanka Trump is turning her sights to solving the paid family leave problem in America, and this will be her next agenda item. Ivanka will be on Capitol Hill today, meeting with senators to discuss proposals to help working families.
Speaking of Ivanka ... :
She and Jared Kushner are the focus of an upcoming book by writer Vicky Ward, which is supposedly going to detail the inner-workings of the Trump-Kushner marriage, both personally and professionally. "Kushner, Inc." is out March 19 and went on pre-sale today on Amazon. Here's the cover: | | Credit: amazon.com
Michelle Obama's Mom is Every Mom:
Michelle Obama shared a text conversation she had with her mother, Marian Robinson, following Michelle's surprise appearance at Sunday night's Grammy Awards. It's literally the same kind of conversation a lot of mothers and daughters have -- at least, I do with my mom -- where the mom is always sort of trying to keep you grounded by slightly playing down your achievements. I love this. It just resonated with me. | | Credit: @michelleobama/Instagram
Here's the way Michelle captioned it: "When your mom doesn't think you're a 'real' celebrity...Tonight in Phoenix, I shared this text thread from my mom from #Grammys night, and I just had to share it with all of you. #TextsFromMom 😂 "
Our Daily Melania:
While their husbands meet today in the West Wing, I'm told Melania will host Maria Ruiz Sandoval in the East Wing for lunch. She's also going to talk to her about the opioid crisis and give her the breakdown of Be Best and what she's working on with kids, domestically and abroad. Last week, when I was covering Melania's visit to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, during part of her briefing by management about the drug crisis, a mention of drugs coming in from Colombia was briefly mentioned, and Melania noted that the President and first lady of that country are coming to the White House, which is happening today. She said, "I will have a plan to talk to her about the crisis of opioids." And her spokeswoman told me today that Melania intends to do just that. Says Stephanie Grisham, "She intends to speak with (Mrs. Ruiz Sandoval) about our nation's opioid crisis, as part of an overall conversation around Be Best and the issues facing children domestically and around the world." | | What Washington is Talking About:
Senate Majority Leader McConnell said he hopes President Trump signs the border security deal to avoid a shutdown and the Senate passed a conservation package on a 92-8 vote Tuesday that creates new national parks and protects millions of acres of land.
What America is Talking About:
Atherton, California, in the Bay Area has been named the richest place in America by Bloomberg for the third year in a row; King, a wire fox terrier, won best in show at at the 143rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show; and Disney just announced "Frozen 2" is coming out in November.
WHCA Comes Out Against Attack:
In a statement Tuesday, the White House Correspondents' Association came out against the man in a MAGA hat who shoved a BBC cameraman at Trump's El Paso rally and called on Trump to speak out.
The statement read in part, "We are relieved that, this time, no one was seriously hurt. The president of the United States should make absolutely clear to his supporters that violence against reporters is unacceptable." White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement, "We ask that anyone attending an event do so in a peaceful and respectful manner."
Schultz Says He Should Pay More Taxes, But Doesn't Say How Much:
In his CNN town hall last night moderated by our Poppy Harlow, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said he and other people of means should pay more taxes. What he didn't say was how much more taxes.
"I don't know what the number is," he said when pushed by Harlow, but he did call Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's proposal for a marginal tax rate of 70% on income more than $10 million "punitive."
Warren Visits Native American Luncheon:
Sen. Elizabeth Warren made an unannounced visit to the the National Indian Women Honor Luncheon Tuesday in Washington. Warren didn't speak about her claims of Native American heritage, but introduced Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, chairwoman of Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah, per a copy of her prepared remarks.
21 Savage to be Released:
The rapper will be released from ICE custody on bail today after more than a week in custody, his attorneys said. They said in a statement that 21 Savage "is grateful for the support from around the world and is, more than ever, ready to be with his loved ones and continue making music that brings people together."
Trump's Fund-raising off Space Force:
The Trump campaign store is now selling Space Force baseball tees for $30. The logo was among the options emailed to supporters by campaign manager Brad Parscale in August 2018, just hours after Vice President Pence spoke about plans for the proposed new branch of the military.
Norman Eisen, the ethics czar under Obama, told Newsweek at the time the email to supporters "creates the impression and perhaps the reality that official government decision-making may be influenced by merchandising opportunities" and leaves voters wondering "whether the primary reason for the existence of space force (at a cost of millions and perhaps eventually billions to the taxpayer) is so that Trump can profit from these kind of emails." | | Credit: Trump campaign store
Street Art Sighting:
Speaking of Space Force, internet presidential artist Jason Heuser, aka Sharpwriter, has a new image out of a Space Force One Presidential Strike Team jet fighter. Heuser, who's done images like Washington killing zombies and Reagan riding a velociraptor, told me he started the piece as part of an editorial illustration for the Washington Post that he made into an actual G.I. Joe-inspired box as a housewarming gift for a friend.
"I started doing this stuff because I love history," he told me. He called himself "very apolitical" and said he's noticed a change in how people react to his work since Trump took office. "As I've been doing this longer, I have to be more cognizant that when I create artwork, I have to paint more people that I might not necessarily like or find interesting to show people that I'm not political." | | Credit: Sharpwriter/DeviantArt
One of his images was on the van of pipe bomb suspect Cesar Sayoc. Heuser said he found out when he woke up to a phone full of messages about it. "I create my art as it's fun and silly," he said. "I don't want to cause anger and violence."
He said Teddy Roosevelt is his favorite president (the "most badass president of all time"), and that he's most looking forward to creating images of 2020 candidates as the primary heats up.
Tag or DM me your political street art sightings @hunterschwarz on Twitter or Instagram, or email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com. | | | | | | |
